Inflatable walled structure



Sept. 8, 1953 v. H, HASSELQUIST 2,651,314 INFLATABLE WALLED STRUCTUREFiled April 1, 1950 JUL/K217i p 1953 v. H. HASSIELQUIST 2,651,314

INFLATABLE WALLED STRUCTURE Fil ed April 1, 1950 "077E ??sssiqufs7 P.

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Patented Sept. 8, 1953 ICE 2,651,314 INFLATABLE WALLED STRUCTURE VictorH. Hasselquist, Akron,

Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application April 1, 1950, Serial No. 153,415

Claims.

This invention relates to walled structures of limp, pliable, imperviousmaterial and to the closing of inflatable walled structures, and isespecially useful in the construction of tents, canopies,

portation of the structure.

In my application, Serial No. 74,033, filed February 1949, and entitledWall Structure, I

from the atmosphere.

Objects of the cility of inflation of a walled structure; to provide forsuperior sealing of facilitate manufacture.

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a walled structure constructed inaccordance with and embody-1 ing the invention, the structure being inthe form of a tent of conical form.

Fig. 2 is a developed plan view of the walled structure of the tent ofFig. 1 in uninflated condition.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the apex portion of the tent as seen inFig. 2, other parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the apex of the tent in itsinflated condition showing the clamping means in use.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the inner backing ring.

Fig. 6 is a perspective placing of the inflated inner backing ring.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the step of rolling the resilientclamping ring into clamping and sealing position.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, this shows a walled viewillustrating the wall structure about the arcuate margin 9 pockets.

Conveniently, such a wall member may be formed by superimposing twosheets of pliable impervious material such as polymerized vinyl chloridecomposition, the sheets being of approximately semi-circular shape, anduniting the sheetsabout their margins and also alonglines correspondingto radii of the arc defining the curved margins of the sheets andarranged at be inflated to the des'ir'ed'amount. i-The tab'l2 may thenbe pinched between the fingers to prevent loss of air until the clampingmeans is applied.

For scaling 011 the inflated pockets, 2. ring'lfi of metal or othermaterial, preferably of a stiff nature, and generally of frusto-conicalor domed form is provided for supporting the upper margin of the wallmember, the upper margin of'the walled member being wrapped thereabout,as illustrated in Fig. 6, where the tab 12 is held against the outersurface of the ring while the margin is drawn about the ring and the tabi4, held by the other hand, is then lapped over the tab 12. Forretaining the wall member in place on the backing or supporting ring andat the same time sealing off communication from the inflated pockets,clamping member, preferably resilient annular ring ll, of rubber orsimilar material is placed over the margin of the wall member andresiliently presses against the wall member at the entrances to thepockets, sealing oil the pockets from each other. The ring I5 isprovided with two circumferential grooves, which provide for increasedconvenience of appli cation of the clamp. One groove I8 is near thesmall end of the conical ring and is employed for normally supportingthe resilient ring ll when the supporting ring is detached from the wallmembers. The other groove is is near the large end of the stiff ring andis used to seat the resilient clamping ring in clamping position. Thegrooves 18 and 19 are separated by a rounded hump 25 in the ring l6, asshown, over which the elastic ring may be rolled from one groove to theother. With the supporting ring detached from the wall member, and withthe resilient ring initially in the groove [8, the wall member may bewrapped about the ring as illustrated in Fig. 6, the upper margin of theWall being laid close to the resilient ring H with the Wall memberwrapped about the supporting ring. The resilient clamping ring groove l8down over the large end of the supporting ring and the upper margin ofthe wall memher is wrapped thereabout and held by the hands until ringI! snaps into the groove l9 in the lower end of the supporting ring, inwhich posi tion the ring 11 overlies the small ends of all the pockets,thereby sealing each pocket from the manifold and from the other pocketsso that should puncture of one of the pockets take place the otherpockets will remain inflated.

If desired, the supporting ring l6 may be provided with openings 20 forreceiving feathers or other suitable ornaments. Also the sloping marginsat the entrance to the tent may be formed with fringe 2|, 22 therealongfor ornamental purposes. Apertured tabs 23 may be provided at the lowermargin of the wall member whereby stakes may be driven through theapertures 24 to prevent overturning of the structure by wind. These tabsmay be constructed of the sheet material of the wall member or may bemade separately and cemented, seamed or otherwise secured thereto.

While a tent of conical shape has been shown in the drawings, featuresof the invention will be found useful also in connection with walledstructures of cylindrical and other shapes.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An inflatable walled structure having a wall comprising pliablematerial providing a plurality of inflatable pockets each having aninflation entrance, means connecting said inflation entrances forsimultaneous inflation, a backing for said pockets adjacent saidentrances, and means for clamping said pockets upon said backing to sealsaid pockets collectively, the clamping means comprising resilientmaterial for disposition across said pockets adjacent said entrances I1is then rolled from its 8 '4 to apply the clamping pressure resilientlyagainst said pockets as a grou 2. An inflatable walled structure havinga wall comprising pliable material providing a plurality of inflatablepockets each having an inflation entrance, means connecting saidinflation entrances for simultaneous inflation, a backing 1 for saidpockets adjacent said entrances, and means for clamping said pocketsupon said backing to seal said pockets collectively, the clamping meanscomprising an elastic ring of resilient material for tensioning acrosssaid pockets adjacent said entrances to apply the clamping pressureresiliently against said pockets as a group.

3. An inflatable walled structure having a wall comprising pliablematerial providing a plurality of inflatable pockets each having aninflation entrance, means connecting said inflation entrances forsimultaneous inflation, an annular member for backing said pocketsadjacent said entrances, and clamping means comprising resilientmaterial in annular form for resiliently embracing the backing memberand said pockets in the region of their entrances to seal said pocketscollectively.

4. A walled structure having a wall comprising pliable materialproviding a plurality of inflatable pockets terminating at a margin ofsaid wall, means at said margin for inflating said pockets, an annularmember for backing said wall along said margin, and an elastic clampingring for embracing said member and said margin resiliently to close saidinflatable pockets as a group.

5. A walled structure having a wall comprising pliable materialenclosing a plurality of inflatable pockets terminating at a margin ofsaid wall, means at said margin for inflating said pockets, an annularmember for backing said wall along said margin, said annular memberbeing of generally frusto-conical shape and having a ringseating grooveat its small end for supporting a clamping ring while said wall is onsaid annular member adjacent thereto and having a second ring-seatinggroove of larger circumference underlying said wall, and a clamping ringof resilient material for seating in the first said groove, saidclamping ring being movable over the margin of said wall by rolling itthereover to seat in the second said groove to close said pockets.

6. A substantially conical walled structure having a wall comprisingpliable materia1 enclosing a plurality of elongate pockets and amanifold connecting the pockets at the apex of the walled structure forinflation of the pockets, said manifold terminating in an inflationaperture remote from said pockets, and clamping means for closing saidpockets from communication with said manifold, said clamping meanscomprising an annular member for backing said wall along said manifoldand a resilient clamping ring for constricting said wall structure uponthe backing member.

'7. A walled structure having a wall comprising pliable materialenclosing a multiplicity of inflatable pockets terminating at one marginof said wall in a manifold along said margin, said manifold having aninflation opening at a margin of said wall,,an annular member forsupporting said wall along said manifold when the margin of said wall iswrapped thereabout, and a resilient ring for resiliently embracing saidwrapped margin upon said member and sealing on communication betweensaid pockets and said manifold.

8. Means for sealing a pocketed inflatable wall structure having a roupof inflatable pockets, an annular member for backing said pockets acrossthe same, said member being generally of frusto-conical shape andperipherally grooved near its larger and smaller end and adapted toreceive said wall structure against the exterior surface thereof, andannular clamping means comprising a ring of resilient material aroundsaid member and adapted for disposition across said pockets for pressingsaid pockets upon said member to seal said pockets collectively, saidresilient element being normally seated in the groove at the smaller endof said annular member beyond said inflatable wall structure and beingpositionable in the groove at the larger end of the annular member inits sealing position by rolling movement of said ring along said memberover said wall structure.

9. Means for sealing a pocketed inflatable wall structure having a groupof said means comprising an annular member for backing said pocketsacross the same, said memher having a peripheral surface adapted torecelve said Wall structure thereagainst, the surface being larger incircumference at one annular margin thereof than at the oppositeannularmargin and having peripheral grooves at said margins separated by abulged intermediate annular portion, and a resilient clamping ringnormally disposed in the smaller of said peripheral grooves and adaptedby rolling movement for disposition across said pockets adjacent saidmempockets upon said member to seal said pockets collectively, saidresilient ring being shiftable from one of said grooves to the other byrolling said ring over the bulged intermediate portion of said member.

10. A sealing device for an inflatable margin of a flexible-walledarticle, the device comprising a member having an exterior surface inthe shape of a surface of revolution with respect to a centrallongitudinal axis through the member, which surface is adapted toreceive the inflatable margin of the article, the surface including apair oi spaced-apart annular grooves therein one of which has a greatercircumference than the other groove, and an endless elastic ring ofcircular face intermediate the grooves to vary the tension in the ringand to effect engagement of the margin in the groove of greatercircumference when the margin is disposed on said surface.

VICTOR H. HASSELQUIST.

